icehockeyfandomcom-20200214-history
North Central Hockey League (Alberta)
The North Central Hockey League was established in 1994 in the province of Alberta. The league is registered at the Senior AA level with Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta. According to the league's website; the league was established in the spring of 1994 out of a few exhibition games and two 8-hour meetings. The founders of the league were George Vanberg (President for the next 20 years), Noel Perrin (Edson Ice), Kirk Holtet (Fox Creek Bandits), Grant Drewniak (Slave Lake Winterhawks), Diane Dickson (Whitecourt Cats), and Darren Myshak (Swan Hills Knights). The league kicked off it's 1995-1996 inaugural season with the above noted teams as well as the Athabasca Aces, Hinton Heat and Mayerthorpe Hitmen, playing a 26 game season. The league was classified as Senior "A" until 2009, when Hockey Alberta changed it to Senior "AA". During the 2013-14 season President Vanberg and Vice-President Jerry Muise also started to manage the Senior AAA level Chinook Hockey League as well. Also following the season the Morinville Kings hosted the Senior AA/A Men's Provincial Championships at the Ray MacDonald Sports Centre. The league began the 2014-15 season with seven teams (Devon Barons, Edson Ice, Morniville Kings, Rocky Rams, Slave Lake Winterhawks, Westlock Warriors and Whitecourt Wild). The league has the Athbasca Aces and the Drayton Valley Wildcats taking a leave from league for the season. The league had planned on adding a new team from St. Albert, Alberta. However the team had to delay starting in the league due to being unable to secure ice in time to commit for the 2014-15 season. The league website stated that the team has been able to secure ice and will commence play in the 2015-16 season. the league will play a 63 game slate (18 games per team) that will run from mid-October to mid-January followed by playoffs and the playoffs. The league expanded to 12 teams for the 2015-16 season as the league absorbed many of the members of the Battle River Senior Hockey League (Big Valley, Bonnyville, Daysland, and Tofield) The Drayton Valley Wildcats returned from a one year hiatus and the seven existing members all returned from 2014-15. The previously delayed St. Albert team appears to have folded. The league will have two six team divisions for the 2015-16 season. For 2016-17 the Big Valley Oil Kings relocated to Eckville, Alberta and were renamed the Eckville Eagles. The Drayton Valley Wildcats did not return after folding late during the 2015-16 season. The Tofield Satellites also do not return. To begin the 2017-2018 season, three teams decided to take a one year leave of absence. League charter teams, Edson Ice and Slave Lake Winterhawks, as well as the Rocky Rams did not ice teams this season, leaving the league with seven teams to compete. It is of note that both Edson and Slave Lake have competed in the NCHL for 21 seasons prior to this season, the longest tenure of any teams. It is also of note, that 4 of the original teams have played in the league for the longest periods of time - Edson and Slave Lake 21 years, Hinton 17, Fox Creek 14. The seven teams currently in the league have an average of 3 years. At the League's annual meeting May 5, 2018, teams from Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, and Maskwacis were added, as well as the Rocky Rams were re-admitted after taking a one year leave of absence. The Edson Ice and the Slave Lake Winterhawks will not return after taking a one year leave of absence. Current Teams 2018-2019 League Seasons *1994-95 Exhibition Games *1995-96 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *1996-97 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *1997-98 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *1998-99 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *1999-00 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2000-01 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2001-02 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2002-03 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2003-04 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2004-05 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2005-06 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2006-07 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2007-08 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2008-09 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2009-10 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2010-11 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2011-12 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2012-13 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2013-14 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2014-15 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2015-16 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2016-17 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season *2017-18 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season Time line of teams Charter Teams *Athabasca Aces (1995-1998). *Swan HIlls Knights (1995-1998). *Mayerthorpe Hitmen (1995-1997). *Hinton Heat (1995-2013) 2X NCHL champs. *Slave Lake Winter Hawks (1995-2012) (2013-2017), 6X NCHL champs, including 5 in a row. Alberta Senior A champs 2005, Alberta Senior B Champs 1998, 2000, 2001. 2004. *Whitecourt Cats (1995-2002). *Fox Creek Bandits (1995-1999) (2000-2009). *Edson Ice (1995-2004) (2005-2017). Sequential addition of teams *Grande Cache Rockies (1997-2000) 1X NCHL champs. *Drayton Valley Wildcats (1997-1999) (2004-2014) (2015-2016) 4X NCHL champs, Alberta Senior B Champs (while part of the NCHL) 1999, 2003. *Westlock Wolfpack (1998-2000) (2005-2006) Alberta Senior A champs 2000. *Jasper Wolves (2003-2010). *Onoway Ice Dogs (2005-2011) 2X NCHL champs. *Lamont Bruins (2005-2009) 2X NCHL champs. *Legal Vipers (2006-2012). *Athabasca Aces (2008-2014). *Rocky Mountain House Rams (2010-2017) (2018 - ) *Devon Barons (2012-present) 2X NCHL champs. *Whitecourt Wild (2013 - present). *Westlock Warriors (2013 - present) 1X NCHL champs. *Morinville Kings (2013-Present) Alberta Senior A champs 2014 (host team). *Big Valley Oil Kings (2015-2016). *Daysland Northstars (2015-Present) 3X NCHL champs, Alberta Senior AA champs 2016. *Tofield Satellites (2015-2016). *Bonnyville Pontiacs (2015 - present). Alberta Senior AA Champs 2018 (host team). *Eckville Eagles (2016-present). *Red Deer Rustlers (2018). *Sylvan Lake Pirates (2018). *Maskwacis Hawks (2018). NCHL Champions *1995-96 - Hinton Heat defeated Slave Lake WInterhawks *1996-97 - Slave Lake Winterhawks defeated Edson Ice *1997-98 - Drayton Valley Wildcats defeated Slave Lake WInterhawks *1998-99 - Drayton Valley Wildcats defeated Slave Lake Winterhawks *1999-2000 - Grande Cache Rockies defeated Slave Lake Winterhawks *2000-01 -Hinton Heat defeated Slave Lake Winterhawks *2001-02 -Slave Lake Winterhawks defeated Hinton Heat *2002-03 - Slave Lake Winterhawks defeated Hinton Heat *2003-04 - Slave Lake Winter Hawks defeated Jasper Wolves *2004-05- Slave Lake Winter Hawks defeated Drayton Valley Wildcats *2005-06 - Slave Lake Winter Hawks defeated Drayton Valley Wildcats *2006-07 - Lamont Bruins defeated Onoway Ice Dogs *2007-08- Lamont Bruins defeated Onoway Ice Dogs *2008-09- Onoway Ice Dogs defeated Legal Vipers *2009-10- Onoway Ice Dogs defeated Drayton Valley Wildcats *2010-11 - Drayton Valley Wildcats defeated *2011-12 - Drayton Valley Wildcats defeated Slave Lake Winterhawks *2012-13 - Devon Barons defeated Edson Ice *2013-14 - Devon Barons defeated Slave Lake Winterhawks *2014-15 - Westlock Warriors defeated Devon Barons *2015-16 - Daysland Northstars defeated Bonnyville Pontiacs *2016-17 - Daysland Northstars defeated Bonnyville Pontiacs *2017-18 - Daysland Northstars defeated Eckville Eagles External Links * NCHL's website http://www.northcentralhockeyleague.com Category:Alberta Senior Hockey